ARIZONA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from Jan. 15 on a new website and ballot for Maricopa County residents.
A federal court has ruled that a 2016 Arizona law that bars anyone but a family member or caregiver from returning early ballots for someone else violates the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.
Monday's ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also found that Arizona's policy of discarding ballots if a voter went to the wrong precinct violates the law.
Judge William A. Fletcher concluded that the practice of tossing ballots voted in the wrong precinct has a discriminatory effect on American Indian, Hispanic and African American voters in Arizona.
Republicans who backed the law said it was a common-sense way to prevent fraud.
"This is a victory for Arizona voters. It was wrong to make criminals out of volunteers whose only goal was to help get out the vote in neighborhoods that haven't traditionally had real representation," said House Democratic Leader Charlene Fernandez on a release.
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